The present disclosure relates to a dock leveler, and, more particularly, to a lip for the dock leveler and an installation method of the dock leveler.
Loading dock levelers are commonly used for providing an inclined ramp, or a level bridge, between the surface of a transport truck deck and a floor surface of a loading dock of a building, thereby facilitating the loading and unloading of the truck by wheeled vehicles, as well as allowing for ambulatory movement, such as pedestrian or animal traffic, if necessary.
Transport trucks have load carrying decks that vary in height above the pavement depending on the size of truck, the intended use of the truck, and the state of compression that the truck suspension is in when loaded or unloaded. Since any truck arriving at a dock may have a deck within a range of heights and the height can float with the suspension under loading, the loading dock leveler must be able to move vertically. The outside end often pivots from a fixed pivot point on the building to rest on the top surface of the truck deck.
The movable deck of the dock leveler usually has a deck plate that pivots from the building, and an outside lip plate that is thin and of relatively short length. The lip plate pivots on the outside end of the deck plate to provide a smooth transition between the truck deck surface and the deck plate. The main deck is a larger, thicker structure that provides a long ramp or bridge section to accommodate most of the difference in heights between the truck deck and building floor, while the lip plate can be a relatively thin plate that rests upon the truck deck and provides a short ramp transitioning between the truck deck and the dock leveler deck plate platform.